EP0012236B1 - Vehicle with adjustable counterweight - Google Patents

Abstract

A motor vehicle having excavating machinery mounted thereon and having at least two axles, at least one of which is driven, and further including an operator cab, the vehicle having counterweights on each lateral side of the cab, guides for the counterweights extending lengthwise of the vehicle on each lateral side of the cab, the counterweights being movable along the guides from a first position above one of the axles to a second position above the other of the axles, and apparatus for selectively securing the counterweights in each of the two positions.

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle with a wheel- or caterpillar-driven undercarriage with one or more driven wheel axles and with a ballast means displaceable and guided over the length of the vehicle, in particular carrier vehicle with connections at both ends for fixed or evasive attachments.

In order to be able to use the loading shovel or other work equipment held on swivel arms without restriction, such vehicles are usually provided with a counterweight at the rear. In order to exploit the available carrier vehicle in other ways in view of the limited possible uses of front loaders, it is common to provide mounting brackets for rear attachments, e.g. B. add-on excavators, trenchers, pile drivers, etc.

If an add-on excavator is attached to the rear of a front loader, the counterweight located there is not only a hindrance during the add-on process, but also unfavorable in terms of effectiveness, since it increases the load on the add-on excavator and, among other things U. the vehicle front axle completely relieved. Even if the counterweight is removed, there is a risk that the vehicle loaded by the rear attachment tilts up at the front while driving.

For front loaders, it has therefore already been proposed to attach the counterweight detachably. When converting, this requires an additional implement that moves to the carrier vehicle to remove the counterweight. Otherwise, the front loader must be driven to a workshop and the counterweight removed there using a pulley block or a crane.

Similar problems generally occur with a carrier vehicle, which is provided at both ends with connections for attachments of any kind and carries a releasable counterweight at the end opposite the attachment, which requires heavier or greater stability, with other front devices, such as forklifts, milling heads, instead of a loading shovel or tunnel boring devices and other attachments or devices permanently integrated into the vehicle can be provided at the rear end.

From US-A-3497095 it is known in a vehicle with a stacking device arranged on the front, a ballast weight which is supported by rollers on a central longitudinal member of the vehicle frame and extends downwards on both sides of the frame part within the distance between the wheel axles Using a hydraulic cylinder to approach the rear axle to improve the stability of the vehicle with the lifting fork protruding from the front. The extent of the weight shift is severely limited both by the partially usable length of the wheelbase and by the relatively large dimensions of the counterweight. A complex hydraulic system with control lines, valves, cylinders and pressure unit is required as the displacement drive.

In a vehicle with a wheel-driven chassis known from US-A-3 504 933, two ballast weights can be displaced on guide rails arranged on both sides of the vehicle's longitudinal center axis, the guide rails extending from a point beginning behind the front axle of the vehicle to the rear and beyond the rear axle, and that The displacement of the ballast weights is limited to the space between the wheels. Both ballast weights are adjusted in the longitudinal direction from above the guide rails in recesses of the ballast weights which are open at the top.

Finally, it is known from FR-A-1 285451, in particular in the case of an agricultural tractor, to provide one or more tubes which are closed at the ends and which extend approximately over the length of the vehicle, or are integrated into the vehicle frame. There is a ballast weight in each tube so that it can be brought into the area of the front or rear wheel axle at the driver's request and if necessary. For this purpose, the ballast weight is shifted with the help of one or the other pipe end supplied with pressure oil, similar to a hydraulic piston.

The invention has for its object to further develop and improve a vehicle of the type described above in such a way that, depending on the use of one or the other implement, the shifting of the ballast means can be carried out quickly and easily without additional work or drive means.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the ballast means can be fixed or locked in the respective end position and can be shifted with one fixation or lifting of the vehicle around one of the wheel axles between the front and rear position without fixing by mechanical or hydraulic drive means.

When using the invention, it is no longer necessary, for example in a front loader, to first remove a counterweight necessary for front loader operation before connecting to the rear attachment. Rather, the rear attachment is attached and connected to the hydraulics, whereupon in the case of an excavator by supporting the excavator bucket on the ground, the rear of the vehicle is tipped up around the front wheel axis, so that the ballast means after unlocking it without any additional drive in the direction of the be moved to the front end of the vehicle. The simple handling in the removal of rear counterweights is not only advantageous in itself, but also has a favorable effect in that retrofitting is now carried out directly at the point of use and the safety against tipping of the vehicle or the combination of devices is increased.

If the front loader is to be restarted after work on the rear attachment has been completed, the vehicle can be swiveled around the rear wheel axle and lifted forward by removing the rear attachment by supporting the loading shovel against the ground, and to raise the ballast after unlocking to that intended for the front loader to shift to the rear position.

In a more general embodiment, the invention can advantageously also be used in any vehicle with a wheel or caterpillar-driven undercarriage if ballast means are assigned to one or more driven wheel axles in order to increase traction by at least parts of this ballast means between the positions assigned to the different wheel axles shifted. By such a shift in weight you can e.g. B. load the cheapest wheel axle when driving uphill.

Ballast means designed as counterweights can be movable on both sides of the driver's cab and above the undercarriage and extend over the length of the vehicle and can be locked in end positions defined by stops. If the counterweights are each movably supported in the area of their ends by means of rollers on the stirrers, the counterweights can even be shifted by hand because of the largely eliminated friction and because of the easy accessibility.

In an expedient embodiment, the guides can each have two angular rails arranged at a lateral distance from one another, the horizontal legs of which form raceways for the counterweight and whose vertical legs form lateral raceway boundaries. However, the guides preferably each consist of laterally and downwardly closed channels with a horizontal bottom and can be designed on their underside as parts of fenders. In the case of angled rails, too, the distance between them can be covered in order to prevent the counterweights from becoming dirty and to prevent the free movement from being impaired.

In order to be able to accommodate the adjustable counterweights on a carrier vehicle without conversion, it can be useful if the outer sides of the guides are interrupted over the longitudinal area of an entry staircase to the driver's cabin and are each bridged by a detachably supported guide rail. As a result, only the outer angle rail needs to be interrupted to ensure unimpeded access to the driver's cab, while the remaining inner, i.e. H. the rail closer to the driver can be used as the step of the boarding stairs.

If the carrier vehicle is designed as an articulated link, the guides on both sides between the front end and rear end must be interrupted. Because of the swiveling conditions of the front end to the rear end, the larger interruption of the outer longitudinal guide sections is bridged by a releasably supported guide rail, while the longitudinal guide sections close to the cabin need only be interrupted by a relatively narrow gap. In the straight-ahead position of the articulated link, the respective counterweight can easily overcome the gap in the guides, even if it has a larger width, since a counterweight supported on rollers runs on at least three rollers at all times and therefore does not stop unintentionally or with a roller falls into the gap and jams. Thus, even with the articulated link design, the outer sides of the guide rails are interrupted in the area of an entry staircase and can be bridged by a detachably supported guide rail.

In order to protect the counterweight parts, their rollers or guide sections from dirt or weather influences, the guides can be provided with upper covers at least in the area of the two end positions of the counterweights. In the end positions, they are secured by any suitable means such as screws, socket bolts or the like.

In another embodiment, the counterweight parts can consist of a liquid which is contained in a closed system which comprises containers arranged in the region of the front and rear ends of the vehicle, at least one connecting line connected between them and at least one shut-off valve arranged in the connecting line. Although the high price has to be taken into account when using liquids with a high specific weight, such as mercury, this proposal has the advantage that, apart from connecting lines, no further guides are necessary and relatively large-volume containers can be provided with which empty spaces in the area of the superstructure of the Carrier vehicle are filled without changing the outer dimensions of the vehicle. Depending on the available space at the vehicle ends, such containers can also extend over the entire width of the vehicle. Of course, the liquid can also consist of hydraulic oil.

According to a variant of the invention, the counterweight parts consist of pourable, powdery or granular material or balls, each in a closed System is housed, consisting of containers arranged in the area of the front and rear ends of the carrier vehicle and connecting lines running between them with at least one shut-off valve. If, for example, small shot pellets are used, the advantages of a material with a high specific weight can be combined with those of relatively large-volume containers and connecting lines that can be easily accommodated.

• Fig. 1 die Seitenansicht eines mit einem Heckanbaubagger versehenen Frontladers,
• Fig. 2 eine teilweise geschnittene Draufsicht auf den Frontlader nach Fig. 1, wobei der Heckanbaubagger abgenommen ist.
• Fig. 3 eine vergrößerte Draufsicht auf eine seitlich des Trägerfahrzeugs angeordnete Längsführung eines Gegengewichtsteiles,
• Fig. 4 einen senkrechten Schnitt nach der Linie A-B in Fig. 3,
• Fig. die Seitenansicht eines Frontladers gemäß einer anderen Ausführungsform der Erfindung und
• Fig. 6 eine Seitenansicht des Frontladers nach Fig. 5, der einen Heckanbaubagger trägt.

Embodiments of the invention are explained below in connection with a front loader with reference to the drawings. They each show schematically

• 1 is a side view of a front loader provided with a rear-mounted excavator,
• Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned plan view of the front loader of FIG. 1, with the rear-mounted excavator removed.
• 3 shows an enlarged top view of a longitudinal guide of a counterweight part arranged on the side of the carrier vehicle,
• 4 shows a vertical section along the line AB in FIG. 3,
• Fig. The side view of a front loader according to another embodiment of the invention and
• Fig. 6 is a side view of the front loader of Fig. 5, which carries a rear-mounted excavator.

1 and 2, the carrier vehicle 10 of a front loader is supported on front and rear ground wheels 11 and 12, respectively. Front swivel arms 13 are articulated hydraulically adjustable on the vehicle body with a loading shovel 14. The floor wheels 11, 12 are lined laterally and upwards by fenders 15, 16, an entry stairs 17 to a driver's cab 18 being provided between the fenders.

At the rear end of the carrier vehicle 10 there is an add-on excavator 20 which is attached to the carrier vehicle in add-on brackets (not shown). The add-on excavator corresponds to a conventional design and essentially comprises a digging bucket 21, dipper stick 22, boom 23 and a supporting part 24 which can be pivoted about a vertical axis. The pivot axis is adjustably attached to a transverse guide 25 which has lateral support legs 26 and coupling members 27 directed towards the carrier vehicle 10.

The horizontal sections of the fenders 15, 16 are integrated in longitudinal guides 30 for counterweight parts 31 arranged on both sides of the carrier vehicle. If the front loader according to FIG. 2 does not carry a rear attachment, the counterweights 31 are in rear positions on the longitudinal guides 30. If the front loader is equipped with a rear attachment according to FIG. 1, the counterweights 31 are in their front position.

3 and 4, the guide for a counterweight 31 consists of two angular rails 32, 33 arranged at a lateral distance from one another. The inner angular rail 32 adjacent to the superstructures of the carrier vehicle extends continuously over the entire length of the carrier vehicle. The outer angle rail 33 is interrupted in the area of the entry stairs 17 (FIGS. 1, 2) and can be completed by a guide rail 34 if the counterweight is to be shifted from the rear position according to FIG. 3 to the front position shown with broken lines. The guide rail 34 is carried on the vehicle and z. B. inserted with vertical pin 35 in receiving openings of visible in Fig. 1 brackets 36 and supported there. When the guide rail 34 has been removed again after the counterweight 31 has been moved, the steps of the boarding stairs 17 according to FIG. 4 can be walked on unhindered. The counterweight 31 is mounted on both ends on rollers 37 which run on the horizontal legs of the angle rails 32, 33. The distance between the angle rails 32, 33 is bridged and closed according to FIG. 4 by a cover 38, which acts downwards as a fender. The channel formed by the two angle rails 32, 33 and the lower cover plate 38, which can be replaced by a corresponding coherent channel profile, is closed at least in the area of the end positions of the counterweight by an upper cover 39, which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 however extends over the length of the fenders to entry stairs 17. The front and rear ends of the guide channel formed in this way are closed by welded or screwed-on vertical plates 40 and 41 which act as end stops. The counterweight 31 is held by means of a screw 42 through openings in the stop plates 40, 41.

In front loader operation, the counterweights 31 are in their rearward positions on the guides 30 according to FIG. 2. If the carrier vehicle is provided with a rear attachment 20, this is first hooked in in the usual way and connected to the hydraulics of the carrier vehicle, after which the digging spoon is supported 21 on the floor and by suitable pivoting of the boom 23 and dipper stick 22, the carrier vehicle is inclined according to FIG. 6. Previously, the locking means 42 of the counterweights were released and the normally open sections of the guides 30 were bridged with the guide rails 34. In the inclined position according to FIG. 6, the counterweights 31 can roll into their front end positions, where they are fixed again. Conversely, the Heckan- is after removing construction erätes ^g, the charging blade 14 is supported on the ground and then the host vehicle in accordance with Fig. 5 forward raised by actuation of the pivot arms 13 so that the counterweights 31 roll in their rear positions, where they are set back.

5 and 6 show schematically front and rear containers 44, 45, which are arranged on both sides of the carrier vehicle and possibly also extend across its width. The containers are connected to one another via suitable lines 46, the cross section of which is adapted to the type of flowable or pourable counterweight material. A shut-off valve 47 is arranged in the connecting line 46 in order to shut off the material which is moved forwards or backwards when the carrier vehicle is inclined. The containers 44, 45 are shown purely schematically and can of course be used to increase their volume z. B. be shifted obliquely downwards so that in the inclined position of the carrier vehicle all material can escape in the free flow or pouring passage from the raised container.

Claims (12)

1. A vehicle with a wheel driven or caterpillar driven undercarriage (11, 12) having one or more driven axles and also including ballast means displaceable and guided over the length of the vehicle, particularly a carrier vehicle (10) provided on both ends with connections for fixed or replaceable implements (14, 20), characterized in that said ballast means are operable to be locked or to be shut off, respectively, in their end positions, and also, when the lock is removed, are displaceable between a forward and rearward position without the use of mechanic or hydraulic drive means, but only by tilting or raising, respectively, of the vehicle about one of its axles.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the ballast means comprise counterweights (31) which are movable on guideways (30) disposed on both sides of the operator cab (18) above said undercarriage (11, 12) and extending over the length of the vehicle, said counterweights being operable to be locked in end positions defined by stop means (40,41).

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the counterweights (31) is movably supported adjacent its ends by means of rollers (37) on said guideways.

4. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the guideways (30) comprises two laterally spaced angle bars (32, 33) having horizontal portions to form racks for the respective counterweight (31), while their vertical portions form lateral limitations of the guideway.

5. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that each guideway (30) comprises channel members closed on the sides and the bottom thereof, while their undersides are arranged as portions of fenders.

6. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the outer sides of said guideways (30) are interrupted over a longitudinal portion corresponding to the width of a boarding step (17) to said operator cab (18), and are bridged each by a removably supported guideway (34).

7. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, which is steerable by an articulation between front and rear articulated vehicle portions, characterized in that longitudinal guideways on both sides adjacent the operator cab are interrupted by a small slot between the front and rear portion of the vehicle.

8. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guideways (30) are provided with covers (39) at least adjacent both end positions of their counterweights.

9. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guideways are closed endwise by end stops (40, 41), while the counterweights (31) may be locked by plug means and/or bolt means (42).

10. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the ballast means comprise a liquid contained within a closed system, which includes receptacles (44, 45) adjacent the forward and rearward ends of the vehicle, further at least one connecting line (46) therebetween, and at least one lock valve (47) in said connecting line.

11. Vehicle according to claim 10, characterized in that the receptacles (44, 45) include vent openings or venting valves, respectively.

12. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the ballast means comprise a pourable powder or granular material or balls, which is accommodated in a closed system consisting of receptacles (44, 45) disposed adjacent the front and rear ends of the vehicle with connecting lines (46) extending between said receptacles and including at least one lock valve (47).

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